Riding in Heavy Rain

[CA G-Man]

No need to speculate about the Gen III - I can attest it handles all-day rain just fine. As far as I'm concerned if there was any real doubt about that you couldn't call it a sport touring bike (Touring = deal with the weather you encounter, whatever that may be).

 

[Bungie]

Rode through 3" of rain on our 'Dacks/VT ride this past August on my Gen III. Not even a hiccup. I've never had a rain related hiccup on my FJR's after a 100,000+ miles.

Fret less, ride more.

 

[mcatrophy]

My Gen IIs have spent many days riding in Scottish rain.

Scottish rain is different from rain anywhere else. Not necessarily heavier, but definitely wetter. It will find its way into anything that can possibly be affected by water (and anywhere else, even if it's not affected).

The guy who organised many of the trips I've done in Scotland was used by Gore for years to test Gore-tex suits, glove, boots. He normally rides FJRs, though currently on a time-out with broken ribs, nothing to do with motorcycles. Never had any problems with his FJRs, rain or shine (except for wearing tyres out).

The FJRs (and most motorcycles) are simply not affected. I exclude the Trophy I had, which did suffer from damp.

Worry about your comfort, your safety (car drivers are even more blind when it's raining), road conditions. Don't worry about the bike.

 

[bikerskier]

Had 5 days of beaucoup rain, wind and cold on my 50-60-70 ride in the Upper Midwest all the way from Spearfish, SD to Maine. Sacramento Mike was there for 3 of them. Hard on the rider but the bike loves being washed.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Some of the best and worst riding I've done, simultaneously, has been in monsoon-like weather. Kind of a focused zen.

 

[Beary]

I will never forget getting past by a BMW GS on the highway during a heavy driving rain.

Beary

 

[Bustanut joker]

I hear if you run anything but a gen l in the rain yer dik will fall off.

Must be true, as zilla don't have one no more.

 

[odot]

.....iffn it's cold and wet I can see that happening......js.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Living in the PNWet, wouldn't get to ride much if we waited for dry days. FJRs do a good job in the wet as long as it's in the liquid form...

--G

 

[RadioHowie]

Can't speak for a Gen III, but I've never had any problems with my Gen II and I have ridden it all day in continuous rain.

My Gen2 has had all day rain rides, never a problem with the bike.

Dunno 'bout the gen IIIs either, but I've ridden all my bikes in heavy downpours 'n never had a problem.

I know that I have personally ridden through storms that dumped 6 inches of rain in Illinois and Missouri that caused local flash flooding and road closures.d

My buddy Doug and I did an SS1K together in heavy, all-day rain -- me on a Gen I, him on a Gen II.

No need to speculate about the Gen III - I can attest it handles all-day rain just fine.

Rode through 3" of rain on our 'Dacks/VT ride this past August on my Gen III.

My Gen IIs have spent many days riding in Scottish rain.

Had 5 days of beaucoup rain, wind and cold on my 50-60-70 ride in the Upper Midwest all the way from Spearfish, SD to Maine.

blah-blah-blah...yadda-yadda-yadda

Here's some rain for ya...

2004, 3 weeks, 3 hurricanes came right through Lakeland, Florida, where I work. Rode to work every day, through every storm. Didn't miss a day. THAT'S rain!!

(still squeezing water out of the seat foam)

 

[BanjoBoy]

Dunno 'bout the gen IIIs either, but I've ridden all my bikes in heavy downpours 'n never had a problem. (Even my fragile Bring Mor Wallet survived torrential down pours.)Back in '82 we had record rain, 'n I traded my pinto wagon for an XS750. Rode that naked bike daily in the rain. The bike did fine, putting on wet gear every morn'in kinda sucked though.

I do try ta ride around 'em 'round the 1st dry day to help dry 'em out.

Bikes iz like wimmenz; they both need ta be ridden!

I can confirm that even as late as 2010, a 1977 Yamaha XS750 survived a SS1000 which included 32F temps and torrential rain, just fine. Actually, it managed way better than the rider!

Sum say those bikes weren't reliable, but I got my '77 w/ 61K mi. and sold it a year later, (To by an '79 XS750) w/ over 88K mi. great bikes!

Hydrate Don. Hydrate.

More Ice!!!!

K

Can't speak for a Gen III, but I've never had any problems with my Gen II and I have ridden it all day in continuous rain.

My Gen2 has had all day rain rides, never a problem with the bike.

Dunno 'bout the gen IIIs either, but I've ridden all my bikes in heavy downpours 'n never had a problem.

I know that I have personally ridden through storms that dumped 6 inches of rain in Illinois and Missouri that caused local flash flooding and road closures.d

My buddy Doug and I did an SS1K together in heavy, all-day rain -- me on a Gen I, him on a Gen II.

No need to speculate about the Gen III - I can attest it handles all-day rain just fine.

Rode through 3" of rain on our 'Dacks/VT ride this past August on my Gen III.

My Gen IIs have spent many days riding in Scottish rain.

Had 5 days of beaucoup rain, wind and cold on my 50-60-70 ride in the Upper Midwest all the way from Spearfish, SD to Maine.

blah-blah-blah...yadda-yadda-yadda

Here's some rain for ya...

2004, 3 weeks, 3 hurricanes came right through Lakeland, Florida, where I work. Rode to work every day, through every storm. Didn't miss a day. THAT'S rain!!

(still squeezing water out of the seat foam)

Hey Howie, w/ God send'in all the hurricanes right through yer house, maybe he's try'in ta tell you something?

 

[RadioHowie]

Yeah...he was trying to tell me to get the hell out of Lakeland!!! :rofl:

 

[TomInPA]

Rain is lightweight. I just had Old Michael plow the road ahead.

 

[petey]

Coming home from a rally in Johnson City,TN was the longest and hardest rainstorm I've ever ridden thru

..water falling from the sky in sheets for more than 5hrs....

the bike did just fine...

 

[BikerGeek99]

Did anyone mention that it rained for three days straight at SFO '09?

None of the attending FJRs had any issues whatsoever.

 

[Bounce]

I've ridden in rain so hard that, when we went into the nearest town (because we were approaching the back side of a wall cloud) the storm drains were so overwhelmed that the water was up to/over the foot pegs. I would have continued on and tried to punch through the front but everyone else out voted me. The deep water isn't something I'd have done for 50 miles but it was doable for the 5 miles we faced.

Adjust speed, braking, and lean angles accordingly is my only advice.

Fast running, deep water across the road is a concern.

 

[petey]

Did anyone mention that it rained for three days straight at SFO '09?
None of the attending FJRs had any issues whatsoever.

Yes I remember that, yeah but most never started their bike for three days

....me included..

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I've ridden in rain so hard that an old man was building a big wooden boat and loading up animals two by two...

Okay, maybe not. But I have ridden in the rain an awful lot, I do live in South Louisiana after all. I have only suffered one rain related issue with a motorcycle. After a very long day in the rain in the Deal's Gap area my ST1300's turn signals started acting strangely. A quick shot of Water Displacer 40 into the switch mechanism and things were back to normal. To add insult to injury, Dad's FJR and my cousin's Harley Street Glide were completely unaffected.

Electrical systems and components have improved so much over time that water/rain related failures are very rare regardless of brand.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I'm in Southern Lousiana next week. Sadly, it's a work trip so I won't be riding.

 

[Sharif]

Rode in rain heavy enough to short out the bluetooth on my brother's Vemar helmet. His K1300GT and my Gen II both did fine, though his bike was plagued by the occasional hot-start problem. That cropped up before the rain came, chalked it up to bad gas.